Today Tile Triggered Content

Welcome to the My First Five Years Blog. Here you will find all sorts of information, ideas and activities that will help you to support your child.

Risky play – recent research suggests your toddler can do their own risk assessment

As your toddler becomes a more and more confident explorer, you might notice they seek out new challenges. The importance of risky play for pre-school (and older) children has been researched quite a lot, but researchers are increasingly interested in finding out more about how toddlers assess risk and what risky play might look like for them.

We all know that an important part of our role as parents is to keep our children safe, but there is evidence that thinking about and taking appropriate risks can help children develop the skills they need to assess risk; encourage them to be physically active and enjoy movement; and explore their abilities in playful situations so they know when something is too dangerous for them.^[1]

3 min read Read Now

Fine Motor,
Toddlers,
FM27.3,
play

Holding, turning, positioning and pushing – interlocking bricks and fine motor skills

Many of us have happy memories of building with LEGO® or the larger DUPLO® blocks, or other sets that need pushing together such as, mobilo®, Stickle Bricks and more. You might have already added something like this to your toddler's toy box, but if not, what do you need to look for and why might now be a good time for this type of toy?

Why interlocking blocks?

2 min read Read Now

Cognitive,
Toddlers,
C27.3,
play

Playing independently could help your toddler build their self-regulation skills

A recent study has highlighted the value of making sure your toddler has time to play freely, without an adult directing or planning the activity for them. It suggests there might be a link between how much time children spend playing like this before the age of five, and their self-regulation skills as they get older.

One of the areas scientists, educators and parents are becoming increasingly aware of as important is the ability for people to self-regulate. This means being able to control your response to events and emotions you experience.

3 min read Read Now

Language,
Toddlers,
S29.2,
play

Our top five tips for encouraging language when playing with toys

Talking to their toys is a wonderful stage in your toddler’s development. It starts around now and evolves over many years, and for some, it never stops! Embracing this time in your toddler’s life can help them become comfortable with storytelling, sharing ideas and acting out narratives with their safest and most trusted friends: their toys. Here are some ideas for encouraging this type of play and supporting your toddler’s early language skills.

1) Take time for imaginative play

2 min read Read Now

Cognitive,
Toddlers,
C27.1,
play

Defining ‘play’ – it's so much more than just filling time

Play is essential for children’s development, so much so that it has its own section in The United Nations’ Convention on the Rights of the Child, outlining the right for all children to have access to “rest and leisure, to engage in play and recreational activities appropriate to the age of the child and to participate freely in cultural life and the arts.”^[1]

Making sure your toddler has plenty of time for play can transform a day, and be positive for your relationship with them. But sometimes it can be hard to know exactly what play is, and there are times that what we think of as play might not be quite what it seems.

4 min read Read Now